Belgium will have to throw away up to 1,326,000 expired doses of different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines about to expire in the coming weeks, the newspaper reported this Monday (05.23.2022). The evening.
Specifically, Belgium has 436,800 doses of Astrazeneca that will expire on May 31 and, in July, another 800,000 doses of Moderna and 90,000 more of BioNTech/Pfizer.
Currently, 80 percent of Belgian residents have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 62 percent a booster shot.
But the slowdown in the vaccination campaign has caused a “stock” of unused doses to be generated, since the health policy since the availability of drugs has been to stock up on more doses than necessary to have different suppliers.
The newspaper adds that, if new variants do not appear that encourage people to resume vaccination, even more doses will have to be thrown away in the coming months or in 2023.
In parallel, and to avoid this type of situation, the EU countries discussed the expiration of vaccines at the last meetings of Ministers of Health of the Twenty-seven and evaluated the possibility of donating them to the COVAX international platform.
However, COVAX indicated that it has “enough doses to cover the demand”, indicated The evening. (EFE)
The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Sputnik V, Instituto Gamaleya
The “Russian vaccine” aroused initial mistrust, but it has established itself as an option for some twenty countries, including Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Doubts arose due to its rapid approval, in August 2020, without having finished the trials. However, later studies give high efficacy to this preparation, which uses adenoviral vectors to provoke immunity.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BNT162b2, BioNTech/Pfizer
The vaccine from the German firm BioNTech uses a previously unpublished technology: mRNA covered by lipids. Explained simply, the vaccine “mimics” the form of SARS-CoV-2, causing the body’s response. In trials it showed high efficacy, which has been replicated in real conditions. The firm Pfizer acts in the alliance as a manufacturing partner. It is used in twenty countries.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
mRNA-1273, Modern
The vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the firm Moderna uses technology similar to that of BioNTech. In trials, it showed an efficacy close to 95 percent. Unlike BioNTech, this formula can be stored at -20 degrees. It is used in the US and the European Union.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
AZD1222, Oxford-AstraZeneca
This vaccine developed by British and Swedish experts uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector. The trials took place in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, Japan and India, and were interrupted a couple of times due to suspicious deaths. However, its safety and efficacy ranging from 60 to 90 percent have been confirmed. It is used in Brazil, the EU and the United Kingdom.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Ad5-nCoV, Cansino Biologics
This Chinese firm’s vaccine uses the common cold adenovirus to introduce an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 protein into the human body, causing an immune response. It has been used in China to inoculate soldiers of the People’s Army, and trials have been carried out in Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. It is currently used in Mexico, Malaysia and Indonesia. Use only one dose.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
CoronaVac, Sinovac Biotech
Like many vaccines that use inactivated viruses, this formula uses SARS-CoV-2 particles obtained in cultures and inactivated before being injected into the body. The presence of these viruses provokes the immune reaction and prevents the disease from developing. Tested in Brazil, Indonesia, Chile and Turkey, it shows an effectiveness greater than 60 percent.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BBV152, Bharat Biotech
Also using inactivated virus, this vaccine developed by Bharat and the Indian Council of Medical Research is known as Covaxin, and has shown 81 percent efficacy in clinical trials. At the time, it sparked controversy for having been inoculated in medical workers when the formula was still in phase I clinical trials. India is now seeking approval in other markets.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BBIBP-CorV, Sinopharm
With trials in Argentina, Peru, the United Arab Emirates and other states, this Chinese inactivated virus vaccine has already been approved in Middle Eastern countries. According to studies, it would be 86 percent effective. Sinopharm is in the eye of controversy in Peru for having sent “courtesy vaccines” for politicians and for having donated thousands of dollars to the government.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Ad26.COV2.S, Johnson & Johnson
Along with CanSino, it is the only single-dose vaccine to date. It is developed by the Belgian firm Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of the American Johnson & Johnson. It can be stored in a normal refrigerator and has shown an efficiency greater than 66 percent. It uses a non-replicative viral vector derived from human adenovirus A26.
